After putting in some sterling service on the brake van rides at the WSRA’s STEAM RALLY at Norton Fitzwarren throughout the previous weekend, our Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 was used to return the ‘Quantock Belle‘ dining set to Bishops Lydeard on Tuesday 6th August 2024. Pictured on the double track section at Norton Bridge by Terry Deacon © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

DEPG stablemate Class 09 D4107 (09019) shunted the goods train at Bishops Lydeard so that D9526 could then provide the motive power to return the steadily-growing collection of refurbished vintage freight vehicles to Minehead. Pictured at Westridge Sidings, Bishops Lydeard on Tuesday 6th August 2024 by Terry Deacon © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

The tidy up operation that followed the previous week’s WSRA’s STEAM RALLY at Norton Fitzwarren involved two DEPG locos. The tasks of returning the ‘Quantock Belle‘ and the vintage goods train to their regular stabling points fell to Class 09 Shunter D4107 (09019) and Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526, the latter working through to Minehead then returning to Williton ‘Light Engine’ to await her next tour of duty. Well done to the locos and to the crews who manned the locos while on their special duties.

 

Mainline Rail Tour works through to Minehead:

D6566 (33048) waits with the afternoon departure for Bishops Lydeard while celebrity ‘Black Five’ 44871 (4871) runs around its stock before preparing to return the ‘West Somerset Express’ to Paddington. Pictured at Minehead on 10th August 2024 by Josh Brinsford © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

Adding to an already interesting week, celebrity Stanier ‘Black Five’ 44871 and West Coast Class 47 47812 (D1916, 47239, 47657) worked through to Minehead on Saturday 10th August, with a mainline charter from Paddington. The combination of the ‘mixed traffic’ steam loco with its diesel ‘assistant’ made for some great viewing and brought the photographers out in force.

See the picture page of the wsr.org.uk page by clicking on this link.

Discernible only from the distant smoke trail, celebrity ‘Black Five’ 44871 (4871) accelerates out of Williton on the return leg of the ‘West Somerset Express’ with West Coast Railway Co Class 47 47812 (D1916, 47239, 47657) at the rear, to provide the insurance and some occasional help. BR(W) 4-6-0 7828 ‘ODNEY MANOR’ waits for the token with Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33057) also visible alongside. Pictured at Williton on 10th August 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

As if this wasn’t enough, the WSR excelled mid-week by fielding their Class 115 Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) on the diesel diagram of the peak season Yellow timetable on Tuesday and Thursday, but with the visiting GWR ‘Castle’ class HST running on the Wednesday. This pattern will continue throughout August, so try and get along to the railway to ride behind one or other or both of these iconic trains. Both have their plus points – the traditional environment and views from the DMU versus the quiet, smooth and air-conditioned comfort of the HST ! Many thanks to the volunteer GWR crews and support teams who are working alongside their WSR counterparts to deliver this HST experience !

The GWR ‘Castle’ class HST is in use on the diesel diagram of the Yellow timetable on Wednesdays throughout August. Power car 43155 was pictured approaching Dunster crossing on 7th August 2024 with 43154 at the rear. Photo by Dunster Info © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

DIESEL RUNNING DATES

Our locos will next be in use this coming weekend 17th/18th August when Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33048) will be working the 10:00 departures and subsequent 80-mile diagrams from Minehead on both days.

Mid-week throughout August, the DMU will be operating the 11:00 Bishops Lydeard to Minehead and 15:25 return diesel service under the YELLOW timetable on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and the GWR ‘Castle Class’ HST will be operating the diesel service on WEDNESDAYS. It is well worth a visit to ride on these heritage machines – the HSTs are not far off from being 50 years of age and can only be found on the mainline in Scotland or in the Far West, beyond Exeter.

We have set another date for Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 to haul the BLUE timetable diesel turn on Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th of the August Bank Holiday weekend and again on SATURDAY 21st September with 80 miles of haulage available each day.

Apologies, but contrary to previous information, we are not able to support a ‘Hymek’ running day on Sunday 22nd September so a Class 33 ‘Crompton’ will be hauling the train instead. We are currently looking into further options for September’s running and will be sending out a DIESELGEN bulletin ASAP.

 

Keep an eye on our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page for details of diesel-hauled public services and sign up to our DIESELGEN email bulletin service to get advance notice of non-public service running. 

 

FORTHCOMING EVENTS on the WSR (click on the links below for more details):

Saturday and Sunday 14th and 15th September – The Forties event

 

 

Click here to join the DEPG

Click here to go tour DIESEL RUNNING DATES page

Click here to go to our online shop

Click here to support D1010

Thank you very much for your support !

 

 

LOCO NEWS:

Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ – some excellent news – the bogies and underframe of D1010 have been inspected by subject matter expert PAUL KOCH who pronounced several aspects as ‘the best he has seen so far’ and this bodes well for the speedy return of the loco to heritage railway service. Of course, there is always the risk of the unexpected and we have lot more disassembly to do yet, but it is very encouraging to receive such good reports on the parts removed so far.

The notoriously troublesome traction thrust brackets and their mountings under the loco were expected to need repairs, but those on D1010 show no signs of damage, just the wear to the rubbing surfaces that would be expected from the accumulation of mileage over the years. The cardan shafts appear to be in good condition, but they will all be sent out for specialist inspection and balancing. The intermediate gearboxes turn freely and silently, but will be inspected internally before pronouncing a verdict. So far, so good.

Meanwhile, Gordon and the team pressed ahead with the removal of the brake rigging on the ‘B’ bogie so that the bushes and pins could be inspected and replaced if necessary. On board the loco body, Paul T and Graham installed scaffolding boards in the underframe apertures that are normally occupied by the transmissions, so that our D1010 volunteers can resume work inside the loco body without risk. All in all, a great deal of progress with help coming from multiple directions, all of which is very much appreciated !

D1010 – one of the traction thrust brackets with the damper still attached and both wear pads from the ‘B’ bogie were gathered on a pallet for cleaning and detailed inspection. There are no causes for concern. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 10th August 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – one of the heavy duty arms that transfers the force from the brake cylinder (already removed) to the brake rigging for the centre axle was pictured in situ at Williton on Saturday 10th August 2024. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – on the other side of the bogie, Steve applied some gentle persuasion to the other arm to help it clear the close fitting mounting bracket as Gordon held it level. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 10th August 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – DEPG chairman Martin (left) comments that it is good to see Gordon smiling again as he acknowledges the rapid progress being made on the bogie overhaul work at Williton. Pictured on Saturday 10th August 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – a famous meme from the days of WW2 comes to mind as Graham works inside the loco (with Paul T, out of the picture), laying scaffold boards in the transmission apertures. This is a safety measure to protect our volunteers but also doubles as a security measure for the protection of the loco. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 10th August 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Please help us with this very important work by making a donation to the D1010 Restoration Fund and support the repair work that is taking place right now. Thank you in advance for your help.

      

 

 

Class 09 D4107 (09019) – this loco is based at Bishops Lydeard and is in regular use in support of WSR activities, as covered this week in the opening photos.

 

Class 33 D6566 (33 048) – This loco has the role of Duty Loco and is outstationed at Minehead throughout August. This loco will be in use on the BLUE timetable on Saturday and Sunday of this coming weekend, 17th/18th August. See our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page for additional dates.

 

Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – this loco has returned to Williton to undergo scheduled maintenance, receiving an underframe steam cleaning in the capable hands of volunteer loco manager Ian R on Saturday 10th. This loco will also receive attention to her rocker cover gaskets, some of which are leaking oil and make a mess on the cylinder heads!

D6575 (33057) – this loco was the target for the steam cleaner at Williton on Saturday 10th August 2024. Also cleaned were the massive transmission output cardan shafts from D1010, to tidy them up before shipping them out for specialist inspection and balancing. Also in the picture are D9526, D7017 and Barclay 578 (ROF 1). Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – this loco is in good shape and is ready for her next booked duties, which will be on Saturday and Sunday 24/25th August and again on Saturday 21st September.

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – the re-assembly of the transmission has now begun in earnest, with a ‘bottom up’ approach commencing with the output shaft at the very bottom of the transmission. This heavy-duty component is in very good condition, but the housing that holds it was severely cracked and had to be replaced with a spare from our stock. The repair of this transmission is the subject of extensive study and debating with three of the key knowledge holders pictured while at Williton on Monday 5th August.

D7018 – left to right, Martin, Paul K and Colin F study a giant-sized drawing depicting the internal layout of the Stone-Maybach ‘Mekydro’ k184u hydro-mechanical transmission. Pictured in the messroom at Williton on Monday 5th August 2024 by Kay Koch © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D7018 – the transmission output shaft shown resting in the lower half of the casing at Williton on Monday 5th August 2024. Photo by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D7018 – volunteer Pete S was lying down on the job to tackle the big bolts that secure the lower part of the housing to the mid section housing. Pictured at Williton on Tuesday 6th August 2024 by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Please help us with this very important work by making a donation to DEPG funds and allowing us to support the repair work that is taking place on D7018 right now. Thank you in advance for your help.

     

 

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – the new Automatic Voltage Regulator (AVR) was fitted into the cab of the loco on Saturday 10th August and the wire path lengths measured so that new wiring can be installed to complete the job. The adjacent fuse and diode housing will need to be removed again to allow the internal cab panelling to be completed, but it will all fit together nicely when the moment comes.

The AVR is an example of the few instances where the original equipment on the loco is not being refurbished and refitted to the loco, but this is in the interest of protecting the authentic items of electrical equipment throughout the loco and is DEPG policy. The AVR is mounted on a bracket that is attached to the inside cab bulkhead and is fully enclosed when the loco is in operation, so it will not detract from the authenticity of the locomotive when returned to service – but it will make it more reliable and reduce the risk of damage to the electrical equipment on board the loco.

D9518 – the white-painted Automatic Voltage Regulator (AVR) is visible in this view of the cab assembly at Williton on Saturday 10th August 2024, with Colin G holding the conduit cover in the general position to show how it will all look when completed. This area is hidden from view when the loco is in service. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – the white-painted Automatic Voltage Regulator (AVR) fits under a shelf and behind a cab door. The control cubicle is to the left and the battery charging diode and fuse is in the orange housing to the right. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 10th August 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO OUR VOLUNTEERS AND ALL WHO HAVE FINANCED THE WORK ON D9518 !

 

Click here or on the image below to make a donation towards the restoration of D9518. Thank you very much for your support !

 

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 – this loco was kept busy last week, as already mentioned above. The loco is now stabled at Williton and is waiting for her next job !

 

Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco is based at Grosmont on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway but has had to be withdrawn from service for a while to allow repairs to made to the corroded silencer. The work is in progress and the loco should be back in service before the end of this season.

47077 – the new leather bellows has now been fitted to the air inlet side of the turbocharger. This replaces the severely cracked and disintegrating part that was in there previously. Pictured at Grosmont on Saturday 10th August 2024 by Pete Dawson © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – stabled outdoors on number 1 road, this loco is fully serviceable and available for yard pilot duties.

 

 

BOOK REVIEW: this week, we continue to offer VOLUME 2 of THE NORTH BRITISH CLASS 22 by Anthony P. Sayer.

         

           VOLUME 1 – Setting the Scene                                   VOLUME 2 – Detailed Insights

These curious beasts were designed and built by the North British Locomotive Company in the late 1950s and soon gained a reputation for unreliability and erratic performance that was not helped by their builder going into liquidation in 1962. Volume 1 tells the story of the origins and development of the NBL Class 22 locos, and covers each member of the class in some detail, in the usual style of the author. Volume 2 delves into their service record and extensive modifications list, ending with details on their final disposal. None were saved.

Highly recommended and offered at £26 per copy via the DEPG online store. Click here or on the image above to get your copy and in doing so, support the DEPG !

NOTE: We can supply many other titles from Pen & Sword or Platform 5 upon request. Please use our CONTACT FORM to let us know what you would like us to be offering from our online store. Thanks !

 

The DEPG 2025 CALENDAR is now available for mailing, comprising 14 printed pages of A3 (twice A4 size) glossy paper on a spiral wire binder. This calendar features the DEPG’s locomotives, both in service and in preservation, with all of the photos being provided by members and supporters. Click here or on the image above to GET YOUR COPY – WHILE STOCKS LAST – for £14 plus p&p.

 

 

ON SHED: this week, we draw upon the collection of DEPG Publicity Officer, volunteer and secondman MARK BLADWELL, with a shot of our very own Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 alongside a Class 25 at Bristol Bath Road shed. The good thing about this shed is that it was easily observed from the platforms of the adjacent Bristol Temple Meads station, but the bad thing was that so many locos were so close, but just too far away to identify. In this particular case, the locos were positioned conveniently and Mark was easily able to record the details. We thank Mark for sharing his photo with us all.

Pictured at Bristol Bath Road shed on 29th March 1974, our very own Class 35 ‘Hymek’ 7017 was in the company of Class 25 7511 (25161) the ‘Hymek’ having been withdrawn but reinstated minus her train heat boiler, therefore banished to working freight and engineering trains until the end of her mainline career. What a lucky break ! Photo by Mark Bladwell © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

DEPG NEWS: the ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING (AGM) of the DEPG has been scheduled for Saturday 7th September, to take place at Williton Depot, starting at 1400. Formal AGM notices have been sent to all members according to their communication preferences (paper, paperless except newsletter or fully paperless). Please make a note of this date and please do come along to help, support and guide the DEPG for the long-term benefit of our heritage locos and associated artefact collection.

Only fully paid-up members will be able to vote, so please make sure that you keep your membership account is up to date. Click on the link further below to check on your membership status or use our CONTACT FORM to ask the question. Thanks !

 

The DEPG is a charity and is run entirely by volunteers, many of whom give both their time and their money to the continuance of work on the locos in the DEPG fleet. If you have been enjoying the roundup for free, have you considered joining us for just £1 a month ? You can then add your name to all of those helping out on the above projects and play your part in the future of our locos for a lot less than the price of a cup of coffee!

 

JOIN US using whichever membership class is appropriate for your situation and means. CLICK HERE or on the image below or use the QR code to get the details.

     

 

If you would like to go one step further and come along to help with the work on the locos in our fleet, then please use our CONTACT FORM to let us know that you would like to volunteer and we will respond with more details.

We look forward to hearing from you !

 

Go to the previous Weekly Roundup post

 

 

 

This drone image, looking south, shows just some of the static display areas at the WSRA’s STEAM RALLY at Norton Fitzwarren. The Bristol to Exeter main line is visible in the upper left and just inside that is what remains of the former Barnstaple branch, with our Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 standing at ‘Holmes Halt’ with two brake vans in tow. Pictured on Sunday 4th August 2024 by Chris Haig © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Looking North-East, this image shows the main display arena with the military vehicles positioned and ready for their parade. Just beyond that, the four maroon Mark 1 coaches of the ‘Quantock Belle‘ dining train are stabled in the bay at Norton Fitzwarren platform. Pictured on Sunday 4th August 2024 by Chris Haig © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

The WSRA’s STEAM RALLY took place at Norton Fitzwarren on Saturday and Sunday 3rd/4th August and was a BIG SUCCESS with fine weather and plenty of visitors to appreciate the many and varied machines that were put through their paces in the arena, and those that were on static display all around the huge site. Overall, an excellent day out with something for everyone, so WELL DONE to the team at the WSRA for organising such a tremendous event !

The BRAKE VAN RIDES along the remains of the Barnstaple branch were hauled by Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 and were very popular as always, and the shuttle service between Bishops Lydeard and Norton Fitzwarren platform was provided for the use of show-goers and operated by the WSR’s Class 115 Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU).

For more photos of the STEAM RALLY, click on this link to the wsr.org.uk website.

 

The WSR’s Class 115 Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) was in use on the shuttle services between Bishops Lydeard and Norton Fitzwarren on Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th August 2024. Pictured from the sought-after front passenger seat position, the DMU was running alongside the GWR ‘Castle’ class HST that is being stored at Westridge on the WSR. Photo by Steven Beale © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Elsewhere on the railway, the weekend diesel turns of the BLUE timetable were worked by Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33057) for most of the Saturday but the locos were changed over at Williton on the last leg of the ‘down’ journey so that sister loco D6566 (33048) could take up the role of Duty Loco and work the Sunday turn, allowing D6575 (33057) to stay at Williton to receive scheduled maintenance.

Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33048) took over the 16:35 Bishops Lydeard to Minehead service after changing places with sister loco D6575 (33057) during the Williton station stop, allowing the latter to undergo scheduled maintenance. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 3rd August 2024 by Tom Courtney © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

DIESEL RUNNING DATES

Our locos will next be in use on the weekend of 10th/11th August when Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33048) will be working the 10:00 departures and subsequent 80-mile diagrams from Minehead on both days.

Mid-week during August, the DMU will be operating the 11:00 Bishops Lydeard to Minehead and 15:25 return diesel service under the YELLOW timetable on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and the GWR ‘Castle Class’ HST will be operating the diesel service on WEDNESDAYS. It is well worth a visit to ride on these heritage machines – the HSTs are not far off from being 50 years of age and can only be found in mainline use in Scotland, Devon and Cornwall.

We have set another date for Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 to haul the BLUE timetable diesel turn on the Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th of the August Bank Holiday weekend and again on 21st/22nd September, with 80 miles of haulage available each day. We are currently looking into the options for October running and will be sending out a DIESELGEN bulletin ASAP.

Keep an eye on our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page for details of diesel-hauled public services and sign up to our DIESELGEN email bulletin service to get advance notice of non-public service running. 

 

FORTHCOMING EVENTS on the WSR (click on the links below for more details):

Saturday and Sunday 14th and 15th September – The Forties event

 

 

Click here to join the DEPG

Click here to go tour DIESEL RUNNING DATES page

Click here to go to our online shop

Click here to support D1010

Thank you very much for your support !

 

 

LOCO NEWS:

Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ – the dismantling work on the ‘B’ bogie is progressing well, with the first of the 12 brake hangers removed for cleanup and inspection at Williton last Saturday. There is still a huge amount of dirt and grime still firmly attached to the bogies, representing 50 years of accumulation, all of which must be painstakingly removed by our team of once-clean volunteers. This is a dirty job – but someone has to do it !

WELL DONE to all of our volunteers for tackling the dirt and grime and getting this work done !

D1010 – volunteer Steve continued the task of scraping the encrusted dirt and grime from the intermediate gearbox of the ‘B’ bogie at Williton on Saturday 3rd August 2024. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – working on the opposite side of the intermediate gearbox on ‘B’ bogie, volunteer Ian F tackled the details around the inboard output flange. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 3rd August 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – the brake rigging on the leading axle of the ‘B’ bogie was disconnected by Leroy and the parts marked up for cleaning and inspection. All of the bushes and pins will be inspected and re-used or replaced as necessary. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 3rd August 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – the leading axle of the ‘B’ bogie with the brake hanger removed for cleaning and inspection. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 3rd August 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – the brake rigging on the leading axle of the ‘B’ bogie has been disconnected, allowing the leading brake shoe to hang free. All of the removed components will be cleaned then thoroughly inspected and repaired or replaced, as necessary. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 3rd August 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

The Neil McCannon Show

We are very grateful to the many volunteers and supporters who have provided us with photos and video footage of D1010’s lifting, and we will be putting these together in a YouTube video on the DEPG channel as soon as we can. Meanwhile, there are five videos available on our public Facebook account, which is visible to all, even to those who ‘don’t do Facebook‘, by simply clicking on the links below (cancel any requests to log in to Facebook by clicking on ‘x’ or pressing ‘esc’):

Video clip 1 : Engines out !

Video clip 2 : Neil McCannon explains what is going to be taking place

Video clip 3 : Neil McCannon explains what is taking place

Video clip 4 : Neil McCannon explains what has taken place

Video clip 5 : Neil McCannon explains the most important takeaway

 

All of the above videos were taken from a position of safety by and posted on social media by DEPG volunteer, Natalie Royal.

Please help us with this very important work by making a donation to the D1010 Restoration Fund and support the repair work that is taking place right now. Thank you in advance for your help.

      

 

 

Class 09 D4107 (09019) – this loco is based at Bishops Lydeard and is in regular use in support of WSR activities, including the loading and unloading of visiting locomotives (there has been a lot of that going on recently!).

 

Class 33 D6566 (33 048) – As already mentioned, this loco has now taken up the role of Duty Loco and will be outstationed at Minehead throughout August. This loco will be in use on the BLUE timetable on Saturday and Sunday of this coming weekend, 10th/11th August. See our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page for additional dates.

D6566 (33048) – the loco was prepared for action by DEPG media superstar, trustee, volunteer and driver Neil at Williton on Saturday 3rd August 2024. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – this loco has returned to Williton to undergo scheduled maintenance. This loco will also receive attention to her rocker cover gaskets, some of which have decided to leak oil and make a mess on the cylinder heads below !

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – this loco underwent some scheduled maintenance to make sure that she remains in good shape for her next booked duties, which will be on Saturday and Sunday 24/25th August and again on 21/22nd September.

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – the ‘good spare’ transmission has now been extensively robbed of good parts, and the damaged parts from D7018 have been used to fill the gaps, so we now have a ‘parts spare’ which contains some good parts and some parts that will need repair if they are ever to be used again. Putting them back in the damaged housings allows us to keep all of the parts together and protected for possible future reference or use.

Work continued on the preparation of the parts that will be used for the rebuild of D7018’s transmission, the first focus being to perform dye penetrant testing on the cast steel housings to identify and evaluate any cracks or other anomalies.

No photos this week, but re-assembly has begun and photos will be available next week.

 

Please help us with this very important work by making a donation to DEPG funds and allowing us to support the repair work that is taking place on D7018 right now. Thank you in advance for your help.

 

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – the activities involving sister loco D9526 took some effort away from this project during the last week, but progress was made on the electrical wiring in the cab, with the fitting of the mounting bracket for the Automatic Voltage Regulator (AVR) and the preparation of the wiring that will attach to the AVR.

The original design of AVR was based on the ‘carbon pile’ principle in which a cylinder of carbon is compressed electro-mechanically to bring about a change in resistance that in turn regulates the voltage from the generator. This technology was not very reliable and is now obsolete, the work now being done by modern electronics instead. The main benefit is that the electrical equipment on the loco is much less likely to be damaged through improper voltage regulation than was the case previously.

The AVR is an example of the few instances where the original equipment on the loco is not being refurbished and refitted to the loco, but this is in the interest of preserving the authentic items of equipment throughout the loco and is DEPG policy. The AVR is mounted on a bracket that is attached to the inside cab bulkhead, so it is not prominent and will not detract from the authenticity of the locomotive when returned to service – but it will make it more reliable and reduce the risk of damage to the electrical equipment on board the loco.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO OUR VOLUNTEERS AND ALL WHO HAVE FINANCED THE WORK ON D9518 !

 

Click here or on the image below to make a donation towards the restoration of D9518. Thank you very much for your support !

 

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 – this loco was kept busy last weekend at the WSRA’s STEAM RALLY and was in use again a few days later on a goods train working to Minehead. More details on this in the next roundup.

 

Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco is based at Grosmont on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway but has had to be withdrawn from service for a while to allow repairs to made to the corroded silencer. The work is in progress and the loco should be back in service before the end of this season.

 

Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – stabled outdoors on number 1 road, this loco is fully serviceable and available for yard pilot duties.

 

 

BOOK REVIEW: this week, we have another new book on offer: VOLUME 2 of THE NORTH BRITISH CLASS 22 by Anthony P. Sayer.

         

           VOLUME 1 – Setting the Scene                                   VOLUME 2 – Detailed Insights

These curious beasts were designed and built by the North British Locomotive Company in the late 1950s and soon gained a reputation for unreliability and erratic performance that was not helped by their builder going into liquidation in 1962. Volume 1 tells the story of the origins and development of the NBL Class 22 locos, and covers each member of the class in some detail, in the usual style of the author. Volume 2 delves into their service record and extensive modifications list, ending with details on their final disposal. None were saved.

Highly recommended and offered at £26 per copy via the DEPG online store. Click here or on the image above to get your copy and in doing so, support the DEPG !

NOTE: We can supply many other titles from Pen & Sword or Platform 5 upon request. Please use our CONTACT FORM to let us know what you would like us to be offering from our online store. Thanks !

 

The DEPG 2025 CALENDAR is now available for mailing, comprising 14 printed pages of A3 (twice A4 size) glossy paper on a spiral wire binder. This calendar features the DEPG’s locomotives, both in service and in preservation, with all of the photos being provided by members and supporters. Click here or on the image below to GET YOUR COPY NOW for £14 plus p&p.

 

 

ON SHED: and now for something completely different – the annual Running Day event at the Derwent Valley Light Railway at Murton Park, York, brought several examples of ex-BR and industrial shunting locos out from hiding in their sheds and allowed visitors unlimited rides behind the operable members of the collection. The event was attended by long-time DEPG member and regular ‘Roundup’ contributor NEALE LONG who reported having a very enjoyable time and sent several photos, two of which are included below. MANY THANKS to Neale for sharing his photos with us all.

Class 03 shunter 03079 (D2079, 97805) was built at Doncaster in 1960 and entered service at Thornaby depot in January of that year. This little loco served on BR until 1996, spending 23 years in the northeast before finishing her career at Ryde on the Isle of Wight. Pictured in ex-works condition on the Derwent Valley Light Railway on Friday 26th July 2024 by Neale Long © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Drewry DC2164 became WD 37 when sent to Egypt on active service in 1941. This little loco has had a very interesting life – read about it by following this link. Pictured in ex-works condition on the Derwent Valley Light Railway on Friday 26th July 2024 by Neale Long © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

DEPG NEWS: the ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING (AGM) of the DEPG has been scheduled for Saturday 7th September, to take place at Williton Depot, starting at 1400. We will be sending formal AGM notices to all members during the coming week. Please make a note of this date and please do come along to help, support and guide the DEPG for the long-term benefit of our heritage locos and associated artefact collection.

 

The DEPG is a charity and is run entirely by volunteers, many of whom give both their time and their money to the continuance of work on the locos in the DEPG fleet. If you have been enjoying the the roundup for free, have you considered joining us for just £1 a month ? You can then add your name to all of those helping out on the above projects and play your part in the future of our locos for a lot less than the price of a cup of coffee!

 

JOIN US using whichever membership class is appropriate for your situation and means. CLICK HERE or on the image below or use the QR code to get the details.

     

If you would like to go one step further and come along to help with the work on the locos in our fleet, then please use our CONTACT FORM to let us know that you would like to volunteer and we will respond with more details.

We look forward to hearing from you !

 

Go to the previous Weekly Roundup post

 

 

 

 

This image, captured from the Williton Station webcam on Wednesday 24th July reflects the rich variety on the railway scene in the 1960s and now preserved on the WSR, with no less than EIGHT classes of diesel in view – Left to right, Barclay 578 (ROF1), Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526, Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018, Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33048), Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’, Class 115 Diesel Multiple Unit, Class 03 D2133 and, in the distance, the diminutive Ruston 48. Image by Railcam UK and the WSR ©

 

The WSR held their very successful ‘GRANGE, HALL and MANOR‘ event last weekend, with an enhanced all-steam timetable that included the welcome sight of a goods train that included several of the vehicles that have recently been refurbished by the wagon groups at Minehead and Williton. As Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 was due to return to Williton from Minehead on Saturday (her next booked working is 24/25th August) and there were no paths available, the ‘Hymek’ hitched a ride on the back of the 10:00 steam-hauled service and detached at Williton, waiting in the platform for the next ‘down’ working to pass before swapping places with Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33048) and Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 in the yard.

After arriving on the rear of the 10:00 Minehead departure, Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 waited patiently at the far end of Platform 2 at Williton for visiting ‘celebrity’ new-build 6880 ‘BETTON GRANGE’ to depart with a train for Minehead. Photo by Martin Howard © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

A yard shunt was required to get the locos in the correct order for their next duties, so ‘Hymek’ D7017 had to wait for Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33048) to haul Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 out from the yard to take up a position alongside Platform 1. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 27th July 2024 by Jon Tooke © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

DIESEL RUNNING DATES

Our locos will next be in use on the weekend of 3rd/4th August when a Class 33 will be working the 10:00 departures and subsequent 80-mile diagrams from Minehead on both days, and also in support of the WSRA’s STEAM RALLY that will take place at Norton Fitzwarren, with BRAKE VAN RIDES being hauled by Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526. There will also be a shuttle service in operation between Bishops Lydeard and Norton Fitzwarren plaform for the use of show-goers, and this is booked to be operated by the WSR’s Class 115 Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) this year (Click here for the shuttle timetable pdf).

We have set another date for Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 to haul the BLUE timetable diesel turn on Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th of the August Bank Holiday weekend and again on 21st/22nd September, with 80 miles of haulage available each day. We are currently looking into further options for September’s running and will be sending out a DIESELGEN bulletin ASAP.

Keep an eye on our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page for details of diesel-hauled public services and sign up to our DIESELGEN email bulletin service to get advance notice of non-public service running.

 

FORTHCOMING EVENTS on the WSR (click on the links below for more details):

Saturday and Sunday 3rd and 4th August – the WSRA Steam Rally at Norton Fitzwarren.

Above: The WSRA’s 2024 STEAM RALLY site plan

Saturday and Sunday 14th and 15th September – The Forties event

 

 

Click here to join the DEPG

Click here to go tour DIESEL RUNNING DATES page

Click here to go to our online shop

Click here to support D1010

Thank you very much for your support !

 

 

THE CLASS 14s at 60 EVENT:

The Ecclesbourne Valley Railway (EVR) in Derbyshire hosted a very special event last weekend, to commemorate 60 years of the Class 14s, the first of which (D9500) entered service on the 24th July 1964 at Bristol Bath Road shed. Affectionately known as ‘Teddy Bears’, the class had a short life on BR but most were sold in batches to industrial users such as the National Coal Board (NCB) and the  British Steel Corporation (BSC), some going to other places singly, such as Blue Circle Cement at Westbury in the case of our own D9526.

The ’14s at 60′ event featured SEVEN active members of the class, all of which were coupled together and used to haul a jam-packed special working marketed as the ‘BEAR-EX’. This massively over-powered special was inspired by the nonuple-headed (OK, I admit that I had to look up the word for nine!) working on the East Lancs Railway for the 50th anniversary (which should have been decuple-headed but one loco failed!).

Well done to the EVR for hosting a very successful event that showed the strength of the following for these ever-popular Swindon-built diesel-hydraulics !

A line-up of SEVEN Class 14 ‘Teddy Bears’ was used to haul the ‘BEAR-EX’ special on the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway (EVR) over the long weekend of 25-28th July. From the front, the locos are D9523, D9529, D9551, D9525, D9504, D9553 and D9537. Photo dated 27th July 2024 by Colin Girle © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

LOCO NEWS:

Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ – the dismantling work on the ‘B’ bogie is picking up pace, with the disconnection of two of the three cardan shafts and the ‘excavation’ of the piles of dirt that had accumulated in the non-accessible areas of the bogie frame during the 50+ years since the bogies were last overhauled. At least one of the cardan shafts exhibited a degree of wear that is likely to result in replacement, so we have to brace ourselves for some hefty repair charges (there are 12 cardan shafts on the loco in total).

In parallel to the bogie work, the overhaul of the first of the two cooler groups made further progress, with the gloss paint being applied over the many layers of primer and undercoat. WELL DONE to all of our volunteers for facing the dirt and grime and getting the work done !

D1010 – after removal of the centre cardan shaft, the inner frame voids of the ‘B’ bogie were ‘excavated’ by Bob and the team at Williton on Saturday 27th July 2024. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – the cardan shaft between the intermediate gearbox and the final drive unit of the leading axle remains in place on the ‘B’ bogie, at least for the time being. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 27th July 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – two of the cardan shafts from the ‘B’ bogie were removed for cleaning and inspection, and possibly repair or replacement. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 27th July 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – an unusual view from the inside of the cooler group as the gloss paint is applied after months of preparation. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 27th July 2024 by Jon Tooke © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – looking from the other side, the cooling fans are going yellow, which came as a surprise to some ! Pictured at Williton on Saturday 27th July 2024 by Jon Tooke © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

The Neil McCannon Show

We are very grateful to the many volunteers and supporters who have provided us with photos and video footage of D1010’s lifting, and we will be putting these together in a YouTube video on the DEPG channel as soon as we can. Meanwhile, there are five videos available on our public Facebook account, which is visible to all, even to those who ‘don’t do Facebook‘, by simply clicking on the links below (cancel any requests to log in to Facebook by clicking on ‘x’ or pressing ‘esc’):

Video clip 1 : Engines out !

Video clip 2 : Neil McCannon explains what is going to be taking place

Video clip 3 : Neil McCannon explains what is taking place

Video clip 4 : Neil McCannon explains what has taken place

Video clip 5 : Neil McCannon explains the most important takeaway

 

All of the above videos were taken from a position of safety by and posted on social media by DEPG volunteer, Natalie Royal.

Please help us with this very important work by making a donation to the D1010 Restoration Fund and support the repair work that is taking place right now. Thank you in advance for your help.

     

 

 

Class 09 D4107 (09019) – this loco is based at Bishops Lydeard and is in regular use in support of WSR activities, including the loading and unloading of visiting locomotives (there has been a lot of that going on recently!).

 

Class 33 D6566 (33 048) – this loco remains at Williton (fully serviceable) but will probably change places with sister D6575 (33057) during the coming weeks.

 

Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – this loco is based at Minehead and will be in use on the BLUE timetable on Saturday and Sunday of this coming weekend.

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – as already stated, this loco returned to Williton from Minehead on Saturday 27th July. The ‘Hymek’ will undergo minor maintenance work while waiting for her next booked working, which will be on Saturday and Sunday 24/25th August and again on 21/22nd September.

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – the required parts have now been harvested from the ‘good spare’ transmission that previously ran in D7018 back in 1995, this transmission now becoming a convenient way of storing a collection of parts, some of which will require repair if they are ever called upon in the future. There are locomotives in mainland Europe that are fitted with the ‘Mekydro’ K184u transmission but some are still in use, so the spare parts carry considerable value. We will be trying to acquire one of these transmissions when they eventually become redundant.

Meanwhile, the work to reassemble D7018‘s transmission has begun !

D7018 – the light grey painted castings are actually part of the defective set, the lower section of which has developed cracks that will only get worse if subjected to traction forces. The castings had to be swapped as a complete set to ensure that alignments were preserved and tolerances maintained. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 27th July 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Please help us with this very important work by making a donation to DEPG funds and allowing us to support the repair work that is taking place on D7018 right now. Thank you in advance for your help.

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – although some of the team were away from Williton and engaged on other tasks, work continued on the electrical re-wiring of the cab assembly and the overhaul of engine parts that will soon be required for the rebuild of the Paxman 6YJXL 650hp V6 diesel engine. There is a lot of work still to be done, but the rebuild is progressing steadily !

D9518 – the engine overhaul is taking place in parallel to all of the other work. This photo shows Tony at work on the two oil pumps that are driven from the idler wheel. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 27th July 2024 by Martin Howard © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO OUR VOLUNTEERS AND ALL WHO HAVE FINANCED THE WORK ON D9518 !

 

Click here or on the image below to make a donation towards the restoration of D9518. Thank you very much for your support !

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 – this loco is currently in position at Norton Fitzwarren and ready for duties at the WSRA’s STEAM RALLY over the weekend of 3rd/4th August. This loco will be providing the motive power for the brake van rides, which are always a popular fund-raiser at the event. If you want to get some Class 14 haulage along the remains of the former Barnstaple branch, then head over to the STEAM RALLY this weekend !

 

Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco is based at Grosmont on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway but has had to be withdrawn from service for a few weeks to allow a leaking exhaust silencer to be repaired and a split turbo input bellows to be replaced. Work is in progress and the loco should be back in service in later this year. The inlet bellows was found to have split beyond repair and a new part has been made and delivered to Grosmont by CHESHIRE LEATHER (yes, the part is made from leather !). The task of fitting it would appear to be quite a challenge !

47077 – the replacement leather inlet bellows has now been delivered by CHESHIRE LEATHER and is ready to be fitted to the locomotive. Pictured at Grosmont on 26th July 2024 by Pete Dawson © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

47077 – the replacement leather inlet bellows now has to be fitted to the locomotive – and the task does not look particularly inviting ! Pictured at Grosmont on 26th July 2024 by Pete Dawson © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – stabled outdoors on number 1 road, this loco is fully serviceable and available for yard pilot duties.

 

 

BOOK REVIEW: this week, we have ANOTHER NEW book on offer: VOLUME 2 of THE NORTH BRITISH CLASS 22 by Anthony P. Sayer.

         

           VOLUME 1 – Setting the Scene                                   VOLUME 2 – Detailed Insights

These curious beasts were designed and built by the North British Locomotive Company in the late 1950s and soon gained a reputation for unreliability and erratic performance that was not helped by their builder going into liquidation in 1962. Volume 1 tells the story of the origins and development of the NBL Class 22 locos, and covers each member of the class in some detail, in the usual style of the author. Volume 2 delves into their service record and extensive modifications list, ending with details on their final disposal. None were saved.

Highly recommended and offered at £26 per copy via the DEPG online store. Click here or on the image above to get your copy and in doing so, support the DEPG !

NOTE: We can supply many other titles from Pen & Sword or Platform 5 upon request. Please use our CONTACT FORM to let us know what you would like us to be offering from our online store. Thanks !

 

The DEPG 2025 CALENDAR is now available for mailing, comprising 14 printed pages of A3 (twice A4 size) glossy paper on a spiral wire binder. This calendar features the DEPG’s locomotives, both in service and in preservation, with all of the photos being provided by members and supporters. Click here or on the image below to GET YOUR COPY NOW for £14 plus p&p.

 

 

ON SHED: this week, we start to feature some of the photos from our sadly missed DEPG colleague, the late MIKE EVANS, who passed away last October at the age of 64. His younger days were spent at Cardiff General station and at the nearby Cardiff Canton Sheds (86A, later CF) where he managed to get beyond the footbridge that spanned the South Wales Main Line and set foot on the hallowed soil of the depot itself. The first photo is one that was loose within the album, but the others will need careful unfastening and scanning, so will take a little more time to gather.

The loco is 1069 ‘WESTERN VANGUARD’ and the date is December 1974. The headcode 2V48 suggests a secondary passenger service originating outside of the Western Region. If anyone has detailed information about this working, then please let us know by using our CONTACT FORM.

Many thanks to Ann Evans for sharing Mike’s photographs with us all.

Class 52 1069 ‘WESTERN VANGUARD’ stands at the head of a line of locos at Cardiff Canton shed on a gloomy day in December 1974. This loco was delivered new to Cardiff Canton on 21st October 1963 and immediately put to use on the Paddington express workings, to relieve the ‘Hymeks’ on these heavy turns. Evidently reduced to Class 2 workings by 1974, this loco was withdrawn in October of the following year. Photo by the late Mike Evans © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

DEPG NEWS: the ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING (AGM) of the DEPG has been scheduled for Saturday 7th September, to take place at Williton Depot, starting at 1400. We will be sending formal AGM notices to all members during the coming weeks. Please make a note of this date and come along to help, support and guide the DEPG for the long-term benefit of our heritage loco collection.

Visitors to the AGM will observe that the environment at Williton depot has been brightened by the wonderful display of flowers that have been cultivated by local WSR and DEPG volunteer Linda, building on the work that was done in previous years by Wendy. The photo shows what can be achieved, even when the environment is not entirely conducive to horticulture !

A splash of colour now greets visitors to Williton, the results of regular attention and watering from local WSR and DEPG volunteer Linda. Pictured on Saturday 27th July 2024 by Jon Tooke © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

The DEPG is a charity and is run entirely by volunteers, many of whom give both their time and their money to the continuance of work on the locos in the DEPG fleet. If you have been enjoying the the roundup for free, have you considered joining us for just £1 a month ? You can then add your name to all of those helping out on the above projects and play your part in the future of our locos for a lot less than the price of a cup of coffee!

 

JOIN US using whichever membership class is appropriate for your situation and means. CLICK HERE or on the image below or use the QR code to get the details.

     

If you would like to go one step further and come along to help with the work on the locos in our fleet, then please use our CONTACT FORM to let us know that you would like to volunteer and we will respond with more details.

We look forward to hearing from you !

 

Go to the previous Weekly Roundup post

 

Saturday 20th July 2024 saw the welcome return of a Class 47 to the WSR in the form of West Coast Railway Co’s 47812 (D1916, 47239, 47657) at the tail end of the Railway Touring Company’s 1Z26 Minehead to Paddington special. The majority of haulage power was being provided by Stanier ‘Black Five’ 44871 with the occasional push from the ’47’. Pictured at Williton by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Another busy weekend at Williton, with infrastructure improvement work taking place while the D1010 team continued with the dismantling of the ‘B’ bogie, with no regard for the sometimes inclement weather. In parallel, work continued on D9518 and the ‘transmission team’ were busy moving the castings from the ‘good spare’ to our transmission repair area, to replace the cracked castings from D7018‘s delinquent transmission. Add a yard shunt into the mix to prepare for track repair work the following day, and the obligatory visit to the footbridge to watch the mainline special go through, and it all resulted in very busy but most enjoyable time !

A steam-hauled service train waits at the ‘up’ platform while (L-R) Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33048) and Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 stand in the yard. In the foreground, WSR Infrastructure team member and DEPG volunteer Matt is hard at work in the 5-ton digger to level an area for the storage of large and heavy items (engines and transmissions). Pictured at Williton on Saturday 20th July 2024 by Jon Tooke © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

DIESEL RUNNING DATES

This coming weekend features all-steam haulage with an enhanced timetable that includes demonstration goods trains and a Quantock Belle dining special, showcasing the three classes of GWR 4-6-0 locomotives that are at present operating on the WSR – namely the ‘Grange’, the ‘Hall’ and the two ‘Manors’. In between these services, there will be some diesel presence as we have two positioning moves planned, plus the DMU will be in use for crew refresher training in the Norton Fitzwarren section. It’s going to be a very interesting weekend – AGAIN !

On Tuesday 30th July, the peak summer YELLOW timetable commences and runs for five weeks, and will see the welcome return to service of the WSR’s Class 115 DIESEL MULTIPLE UNIT (DMU), which will be covering the 11:00 departure from Bishops Lydeard and the 15:25 return from Minehead.

Our locos will next be in use on the weekend of 3rd/4th August when a Class 33 will be working the 10:00 departures and subsequent 80-mile diagrams from Minehead on both days, and also in support of the WSRA’s STEAM RALLY that will take place at Norton Fitzwarren, with BRAKE VAN RIDES being hauled by Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526. There will also be a shuttle service in operation between Bishops Lydeard and Norton Fitzwarren plaform for the use of show-goers, and this is booked to be operated by the DMU this year.

We have set another date for Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 to haul the BLUE timetable diesel turn on the Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th of the August Bank Holiday weekend, with 80 miles of haulage available each day. We are currently looking into the options for September’s running and will be sending out a DIESELGEN bulletin ASAP.

Keep an eye on our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page for details of diesel-hauled public services and sign up to our DIESELGEN email bulletin service to get advance notice of non-public service running. 

 

FORTHCOMING EVENTS on the WSR (click on the links below for more details):

Saturday and Sunday 27th and 28th July – Grange, Manor and Hall weekend

Saturday and Sunday 3rd and 4th August – the WSRA Steam Rally at Norton Fitzwarren.

Above: The WSRA’s 2024 STEAM RALLY site plan

Saturday and Sunday 14th and 15th September – The Forties event

 

 

Click here to join the DEPG

Click here to go tour DIESEL RUNNING DATES page

Click here to go to our online shop

Click here to support D1010

Thank you very much for your support !

 

 

LOCO NEWS:

Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ – with the worst of the dirt and grime removed from the ‘B’ bogie having been removed by scraping and brushing, the team were able to find the nuts and bolts that needed to be released to allow the brake cylinders to be removed for overhaul. This in turn uncovered more dirt and grime that will have to be scraped and brushed. At the end of the session, Leroy had managed to transfer quite a lot of the dirt and grime to himself, necessitating a complete change of clothes before his journey home on the train. There is a lot of work to be done on each bogie, but we have made a very good start.

D1010 – the ‘B’ bogie was receiving attention from (L-R) Gordon, Leroy and Thomas at Williton on Saturday 20th July 2024. Volunteers Viv and Ian F were also ‘on the case’ but managed to avoid the camera on this occasion. The brake rigging was being removed so that the brake cylinders could be extracted for overhaul. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – undeterred by the rain showers, the ‘B’ bogie will remain the focus of attention for several weeks yet. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 20th July 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – and the result of the effort, all six brake cylinders were removed from the ‘B’ bogie. The other two are on a different pallet nearby. Gordon was pictured applying protective tape to the pipe connections at Williton on Saturday 20th July 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

The Neil McCannon Show

We are very grateful to the many volunteers and supporters who have provided us with photos and video footage of D1010’s lifting, and we will be putting these together in a YouTube video on the DEPG channel as soon as we can. Meanwhile, there are five videos available on our public Facebook account, which is visible to all, even to those who ‘don’t do Facebook’, by simply clicking on the links below (cancel any requests to log in to Facebook by clicking on ‘x’ or pressing ‘esc’):

Video clip 1 : Engines out !

Video clip 2 : Neil McCannon explains what is going to be taking place

Video clip 3 : Neil McCannon explains what is taking place

Video clip 4 : Neil McCannon explains what has taken place

Video clip 5 : Neil McCannon explains the most important takeaway

 

All of the above videos were taken from a position of safety by and posted on social media by DEPG volunteer, Natalie Royal.

Please help us with this very important work by making a donation to the D1010 Restoration Fund and support the repair work that is taking place right now. Thank you in advance for your help.

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Class 09 D4107 (09019) – this loco is based at Bishops Lydeard and is in regular use in support of WSR activities, including the loading and unloading of visiting locomotives !

 

Class 33 D6566 (33 048) – this loco returned to Williton for allow volunteer loco manager Ian and his team to attend to a defective slack adjuster. The loco will return to duties during the coming week and probably swap roles with sister D6575 (33057).

 

Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – this loco is now at Bishops Lydeard and is on standby during the steam event this coming weekend.

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – this loco is stabled at Minehead and is expected to be returning to Williton on the rear of the steam-hauled 10:00 service from Minehead on Saturday 27th July, to be detached at Williton and stabled in the South yard.

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – the ‘good spare’ transmission that previously ran in D7018 back in 1995 has now been disassembled so that the castings can be used to replace those that were found to be damaged in D7018‘s current transmission. The damaged castings will be kept along with all of the other damaged parts, in case they need to be repaired at some point in the future. These parts are precious because new replacements will be VERY expensive.

D7018 – it was a casting swap-over at Williton on Saturday 20th July 2024. The nicely painted castings are actually part of the defective set, the lower portion of which has developed cracks that will only get worse if left unrepaired. The dark grey parts have been recovered from the ‘good spare’ which has now become a parts donor. The castings have to be swapped as a set to ensure that alignments are preserved. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Please help us with this very important work by making a donation to DEPG funds and allowing us to support the repair work that is taking place on D7018 right now. Thank you in advance for your help.

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – work continued on the preparation of parts for the cab assembly, with a line-up of the refurbished gauges that need to be re-installed into the driver’s desk (both sides of the desk). Some of the gauges have faults that cannot be repaired, so we will need to source some replacements. Hopefully, we can maintain authenticity.

D9518 – the two tachometers (one for each side of the driver’s desk) were part of the instrument line-up at Williton on Saturday 20th July 2024. These instruments show the engine speed, which is normally in the range 600 to 1500 rpm. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – one of the speedometers is ready to be re-installed. In this case, the maximum permitted speed is denoted by the red line at 40 mph, which is correct for a Class 14. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 20th July 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – let’s not forget that the engine overhaul is taking place in parallel to all of the other work. This photo shows the two oil pumps that are driven from the idler wheel. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 20th July 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO OUR VOLUNTEERS AND ALL WHO HAVE FINANCED THE WORK ON D9518 !

 

Click here or on the image below to make a donation towards the restoration of D9518. Thank you very much for your support !

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 – this loco is currently stabled at Williton and is next booked for duties at the WSRA’s STEAM RALLY at Norton Fitzwarren over the weekend of 3rd/4th August. This loco will be providing the motive power for the brake van rides, which are always a popular fund-raiser at the event. If you want to get some Class 14 haulage along the remains of the former Barnstaple branch, then head over to the STEAM RALLY next weekend !

 

Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco was a very popular attraction at the DIESEL GALA that took place on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway recently, but has now been withdrawn from service for a few weeks to allow a leaking exhaust silencer to be repaired and a split turbo input bellows to be replaced. Work is in progress and the loco should be back in service for the peak of summer.

The NYMR are obviously keen to get her back into service because the loco features in their latest advertising campaign – and rightly so !

 

Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – stabled outdoors on number 1 road, this loco is fully serviceable and available for yard pilot duties.

 

 

BOOK REVIEW: this week, we have ANOTHER NEW book on offer: VOLUME 2 of THE NORTH BRITISH CLASS 22 by Anthony P. Sayer.

         

           VOLUME 1 – Setting the Scene                                   VOLUME 2 – Detailed Insights

These curious beasts were designed and built by the North British Locomotive Company in the late 1950s and soon gained a reputation for unreliability and erratic performance that was not helped by their builder going into liquidation in 1962. Volume 1 tells the story of the origins and development of the NBL Class 22 locos, and covers each member of the class in some detail, in the usual style of the author. Volume 2 delves into their service record and extensive modifications list, ending with details on their final disposal. None were saved.

Highly recommended and offered at £26 per copy via the DEPG online store. Click here or on the image above to get your copy and in doing so, support the DEPG !

NOTE: We can supply many other titles from Pen & Sword or Platform 5 upon request. Please use our CONTACT FORM to let us know what you would like us to be offering from our online store. Thanks !

 

The DEPG 2025 CALENDAR is now available for mailing, comprising 14 printed pages of A3 (twice A4 size) glossy paper on a spiral wire binder. This calendar features the DEPG’s locomotives, both in service and in preservation, with all of the photos being provided by members and supporters. Click here or on the image below to GET YOUR COPY NOW for £14 plus p&p.

 

 

ON SHED: another photo from the collection of long-term DEPG member PHIL GRAY, this photo is particularly relevant following the recent announcement that the Royal Mail is to cease the use of the few remaining mail trains that still operate on the UK network. Back in 1982, things were very different, as this photo shows. Of the six carriages that have recently arrived at Camarthen station in West Wales, three of the vehicles are dedicated to mail and parcels. These Travelling Post Office (TPO) trains were commonplace throughout the network until the traffic moved to road. The last TPO ran in January 2004.

The Class 33 has probably brought the train from Fishguard Harbour and the 47 is probably going to take it forward to London via Swansea and Cardiff. If anyone has detailed information about these workings, then please let us know by using our CONTACT FORM.

Many thanks to Phil for sharing his photographs with us all.

Class 33 ‘Crompton’ 33032 had just detached from a passenger service that included a Travelling Post Office section when pictured at Camarthen station on 10th September 1982. This station is situated on a spur from the Swansea to Fishguard Harbour line, so all trains have to reverse here. The Class 47 at the far end of the island platform is probably positioning to take the train forward to Cardiff and beyond. Photo by Phil Gray © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

DEPG NEWS: a Board Meeting took place at Williton on Saturday 20th July, a synopsis of which will be prepared and will be made available to all DEPG members as soon as possible. The next Board Meeting will take place on Saturday 31st August. If you have a question that you would like to have placed before the Board, please reply to this email or use our CONTACT FORM.

The ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING (AGM) of the DEPG has been scheduled for Saturday 7th September, to take place at Williton Depot, starting at 1400. We will be sending formal AGM notices to all members during the coming weeks. Please make a note of this date and come along to help, support and guide the DEPG for the long-term benefit of our heritage loco collection.

 

The DEPG is a charity and is run entirely by volunteers, many of whom give both their time and their money to the continuance of work on the locos in the DEPG fleet. If you have been enjoying the the roundup for free, have you considered joining us for just £1 a month ? You can then add your name to all of those helping out on the above projects and play your part in the future of our locos for a lot less than the price of a cup of coffee!

 

JOIN US using whichever membership class is appropriate for your situation and means. CLICK HERE or on the image below or use the QR code to get the details.

     

If you would like to go one step further and come along to help with the work on the locos in our fleet, then please use our CONTACT FORM to let us know that you would like to volunteer and we will respond with more details.

We look forward to hearing from you !

 

Go to the previous Weekly Roundup post

Two ‘Type 3’ locos from the early 1960s, side-by-side at Minehead on the morning of Saturday 13th July 2024, showing their distinctly different design styles. On the left, Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Co (BRCW) Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33 057) and on the right, Beyer Peacock (Hymek) Ltd’s Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017. Photo by Mark Bladwell © CC BY-NC 3.0

       

Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33 057) was the 76th member of the fleet of 98 locomotives and entered service on 4th November 1961. Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 was the 18th member of the fleet of 101 locomotives and entered service on 8th January 1962. Photos from the DEPG archive © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

The diesel-hauled services on the weekend of 13th/14th July were shared between two distinctly different locomotives that are almost the same age and were built by private firms (not BR workshops) to do similar work on two distinctly different regions of BR. The diesel-electric Class 33 ‘Crompton’ was built by the Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Company Limited (BRCW) at Smethwick, Birmingham for use on the Southern Region (SR), and the diesel-hydraulic Class 35 ‘Hymek’ was built in Gorton, Manchester by a consortium that was led by the famous Beyer Peacock company with partners Bristol Siddeley and J. Stone, for use on the Western Region (WR).

Both locomotives were built for similar mixed-traffic duties, but with differing specifications. The ‘Cromptons’ (so called because their electrical equipment was supplied by Crompton Parkinson) were designed with Electric Train Heating (ETH) and dual brakes (air and vacuum) to be compatible with the rolling stock on the mostly-electrified network in the South and South-East of the UK. The name ‘Hymek’ is an abbreviation of Hydro-Mechanical, which described the type of transmission, the trade name for which was ‘Mekydro’, hence the use of the Germanic spelling. The ‘Hymeks’ were fitted with steam generators (‘boilers’) because they took over from steam locos hauling steam-heated rolling stock. They were not fitted with train air braking because the vacuum brake was the requirement on the WR at the time, a decision which went against the ‘Hymeks’ in the mid-1960s when air braking was introduced on the new Mark 2 coaching stock and on all new freight vehicles.

Although many locomotives of other classes were converted to dual braking and ETH as they received their major overhauls, these upgrades were not applied to the ‘Hymeks’ because the diesel-hydraulics had been labelled as ‘non-standard’ by BR in 1965 and were to be eradicated by the early 1970s. Our locos, D7017 and D7018, were among the last four of the Class to operate on BR, back in March 1975. The ‘Hymeks’ are rare and powerful beasts, with only four surviving in preservation (click here for details).

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 called at Stogumber on Saturday 13th July 2024 while working the 10:00 service from Minehead to Bishops Lydeard, being the first leg of her 80-mile diagram that day. Photo by Mark Ireland © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

The ‘Cromptons’ on the other hand, benefited from their forward-looking specification that was to become the BR standard, and the Class was still in use in significant numbers more than 40 years after their introduction, with our D6566 (33048) being retired in 1997 (and almost immediately started her new career on the WSR), whereas D6575 (33 057) continued on the mainline until suffering a bogie fire in 2005, entering service on the WSR in 2012 after receiving extensive repairs. Very useful locos indeed !

Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33 057) worked the 10:00 Minehead to Bishops Lydeard 80-mile diagram on Sunday 14th July 2024, and was pictured while departing from Washford Station. The volunteer Permanent Way gang have evidently been working wonders in the Station Yard. Photo by Malcolm Anderson © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

Here’s a message from Mark Bladwell regarding Coins and Notes:

     “I would like to thank all who have donated banknotes and coins to the Group. Where a name and address have been provided I have thanked you personally. The proceeds are still providing a very useful income to the Group’s funds which are being used for General Funds. However we still need more !

We require:
– The old (large) 50p, 10p and 5p, together with ½ p’s
– Old £1 coins together with any old £1, £5 and £10 notes
– Euros & Cents; US, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand Dollars/Cents coins and notes
– Pre-decimal coins (pre 1971)
– Isle of Man, Guernsey and Jersey coins and notes.
– In fact, any coins and notes from around the world.

Please contact me at the depot address or by email to publicity@depg.org “

 

Many thanks to Mark for organising this fund-raising activity and for handling the work that arises from it. The resulting donations have been very useful for DEPG funds, so thank you ALL !

 

DIESEL RUNNING DATES

We are entering a quiet period for diesel haulage because there are two events organised for this weekend and next, each featuring steam, with our locos on standby and only likely to be used in the event of an issue arising with one of the rostered steam locos.

Then, on Tuesday 30th July, the peak summer YELLOW timetable commences and runs for five weeks, and will see the welcome return of the WSR’s Class 115 DIESEL MULTIPLE UNIT (DMU), which will be covering the 11:00 departure from Bishops Lydeard and the 15:25 return from Minehead.

Our locos will next be in use on the weekend of 3rd/4th August when a Class 33 will be working the 10:00 departures and subsequent 80-mile diagrams from Minehead on both days, and also in support of the WSRA’s STEAM RALLY that will take place at Norton Fitzwarren, with BRAKE VAN RIDES being hauled by Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526. There will also be a shuttle service in operation between Bishops Lydeard and Norton Fitzwarren plaform for the use of showgoers, and this will be either the DMU or a rake of coaches with a diesel ‘top and tail’.

We have set another date for Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 to haul the BLUE timetable diesel turn on the Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th of the August Bank Holiday weekend, with 80 miles of haulage available each day. We are currently looking into the options for September’s running and will be sending out a DIESELGEN bulletin ASAP.

Keep an eye on our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page for details of diesel-hauled public services and sign up to our DIESELGEN email bulletin service to get advance notice of non-public service running. 

 

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 PHOTO CHARTER:

Sadly, the PHOTO CHARTER that had been organised by DON BISHOP for 22nd July using Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 has not generated a sufficient number of bookings to cover its costs, so it has had to be CANCELLED. This is very disappointing for Don and the DEPG and for all of the supporters who had made a booking, but charters such as this are very expensive and must at least break even. We hope that Don will not be too discouraged and will try again at some point in the near future.

 

 

FORTHCOMING EVENTS on the WSR (click on the links below for more details):

Tuesday 16th through Sunday 21st July – 150th anniversary of the WSR extension to Minehead

Saturday and Sunday 27th and 28th July – Grange, Manor and Hall weekend

Saturday and Sunday 3rd and 4th August – the WSRA Steam Rally at Norton Fitzwarren.

Above: The WSRA’s 2024 STEAM RALLY site plan

Saturday and Sunday 14th and 15th September – The Forties event

 

 

Click here to join the DEPG

Click here to go tour DIESEL RUNNING DATES page

Click here to go to our online shop

Click here to support D1010

Thank you very much for your support !

 

 

LOCO NEWS:

Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ – after an intense period of planning and checking, checking and planning, the lifting and lowering of the loco body went well, the four load columns of the loco body lining up with the four loading pads of the ex-BR Swindon stands to within a few millimetres. As the 40+ ton weight of the loco body came onto the stands, they settled on their levelled beds of aggregate, this time the change being measurable in centimetres in some cases, but still well within expectations. The heights of each loading pad will be checked periodically and if the action limits are breached, action will be taken to jack and pack the relevant corner.

When lifting the loco body from the bogies, the air tank at ‘A’ end snagged with the bogie and delayed the lift while the tank was disconnected and removed. There was no such conflict at ‘B’ end, so that air tank remains in situ. The two photos below show the difference. The most likely reason for the difference is that the ‘A’ end received heavy repairs on three occasions in the period 1962-1972 on account of collision damage (see our D1010 timeline page), so it is likely that the repairs resulted in smaller clearances that caused conflicts when lifting the body.

D1010 – the ‘A’ end of the loco is at the far end when viewed from Williton Station. The removal of the air tank was carried out while the lift was paused to avoid risk of damage due to snagging. Compare this picture to that of ‘B’ end below. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 13th July 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – the ‘B’ end of the loco is at the near end when viewed from Williton Station. This picture shows the air tank that is mounted underneath the buffer beam (same both ends). Pictured at Williton on Saturday 13th July 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

The two bogies are now available for our volunteers to work on, and massive progress has already been made on ‘B’ bogie by the removal of 50 years of dirt, grease and grime that has accumulated to a depth of several inches, in some places. Our new volunteer, David, made very good progress over four consecutive days of work, and this was bolstered by a mass effort from the ‘Tuesday Team’, the result of which is a bogie where we can actually identify the various parts ! MANY THANKS TO ALL OF OUR VOLUNTEERS FOR MAKING SUCH GOOD PROGRESS !

D1010 – the ‘B’ bogie has been the subject of much attention and is already looking much the better for it. With the dirt and grime already removed, Gordon and Leroy (L-R) were able to make a start on removing the air pipes from the inboard end of the bogie, for cleaning and inspection. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 13th July 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – looking down on the centre axle and the associated final drive of ‘B’ bogie, the yellow cardan shaft provides the driving force via the intermediate gearbox (inside the tall housing on the far right). Pictured at Williton on Saturday 13th July 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – looking at the leading edge of ‘B’ bogie, the intermediate gearbox is now clearly visible between the leading and centre axles. It is heavy duty stuff ! Pictured at Williton on Saturday 13th July 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

The Neil McCannon Show

We are very grateful to the many volunteers and supporters who have provided us with photos and video footage of D1010’s lifting, and we will be putting these together in a YouTube video on the DEPG channel as soon as we can. Meanwhile, there are five videos available on our public Facebook account, which is visible to all, even to those who ‘don’t do Facebook’, by simply clicking on the links below (cancel any requests to log in to Facebook by clicking on ‘x’ or pressing ‘esc’):

     Video clip 1 : Engines out !

     Video clip 2 : Neil McCannon explains what is going to be taking place

     Video clip 3 : Neil McCannon explains what is taking place

     Video clip 4 : Neil McCannon explains what has taken place

     Video clip 5 : Neil McCannon explains the most important takeaway

All of the above videos were taken from a position of safety by and posted on social media by DEPG volunteer, Natalie Royal.

Please help us with this very important work by making a donation to the D1010 Restoration Fund and support the repair work that is taking place right now. Thank you in advance for your help.

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Class 09 D4107 (09019) – this loco is based at Bishops Lydeard and is in regular use in support of WSR activities, including the loading and unloading of visiting locomotives !

 

Class 33 D6566 (33 048) – this loco is stabled at Bishops Lydeard as a standby locomotive and will be returning to Williton in the near future.

 

Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – this loco is on standby at Minehead.

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – this loco is also at Minehead and is expected to be returning to Williton during the next week or so (next in use at the end of August).

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – the ‘good spare’ transmission that previously ran in D7018 back in 1995 has now been disassembled so that the castings can be used to replace those that were found to be damaged in D7018‘s current transmission. The damaged castings will be kept along with all of the other damaged parts, in case they need to be repaired at some point in the future. These parts are precious because new replacements will be VERY expensive.

One surprise, that explained why it was so difficult to extract a stud from the ‘good spare’ transmission, was the damage to the studs and bolts in the final drive casing at the very bottom of the gearbox housing. The stud was found to have been severely overloaded at some time since the last works overhaul in 1970 and had become displaced at the point where the two casting halves met. The damage is visible in the photograph below, with the upper portion of the stud displaced to the left, and this is taken from the ‘GOOD spare’ transmission ! The equivalent parts on the damaged transmission were sheared off altogether. What a hard life these locomotives have had.

D7018 – the stud that was eventually removed from the ‘good spare’ transmission at Williton on 9th July 2024. The upper portion of the stud has been displaced to the left by severe overloading. Photo by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Please help us with this very important work by making a donation to DEPG funds and allowing us to support the repair work that is taking place on D7018 right now. Thank you in advance for your help.

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – more VERY GOOD NEWS – we now have BOTH of the cardan shafts fully re-installed in the loco, complete with the safety bows ! This aspect of the restoration has taken some time due to the large and expensive nature of the parts involved, but we can now move on, THANKS TO OUR DONORS AND SUPPORTERS !

D9518 – the cardan shaft (green) that connects the engine (out of the picture to the left) to the transmission (grey, on the right) has now been fully installed, complete with the safety bows that protect the loco and its occupants in the event of a shaft failure at high operating speed. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 13th July 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Having these shafts installed allows us to start planning for the day when the cab assembly gets re-mounted onto the frames, after which the loco will return to its characteristic shape and be well on its way to full restoration !

THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO OUR VOLUNTEERS AND ALL WHO HAVE FINANCED THE WORK ON D9518 !

 

Click here or on the image below to make a donation towards the restoration of D9518. Thank you very much for your support !

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 – this loco is stabled at Williton and is available for service.

 

Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco was a very popular attraction at the DIESEL GALA that took place on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway recently, but has now been withdrawn from service for a few weeks to allow a leaking exhaust silencer to be repaired and a split turbo input bellows to be replaced. Work is in progress and the loco should be back in service for the peak of summer.

 

Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – stabled outdoors on number 1 road, this loco is fully serviceable and available for yard pilot duties.

 

BOOK REVIEW: this week, we have a NEW book on offer:THE NORTH BRITISH CLASS 22 by Anthony P. Sayer.

These curious beasts were designed and built by the North British Locomotive Company in the late 1950s and soon gained a reputation for unreliability and erratic performance that was not helped by their builder going into liquidation in 1962. This book tells the story of the origins and development of the NBL Class 22 locos, and covers each member of the class in some detail, in the usual style of the author.

Highly recommended and offered at £26 per copy via the DEPG online store. Click here or on the image above to get your copy and in doing so, support the DEPG !

NOTE: We can supply many other titles from Pen & Sword or Platform 5 upon request. Please use our CONTACT FORM to let us know what you would like us to be offering from our online store. Thanks !

 

 

The DEPG 2025 CALENDAR is now available for mailing, comprising 14 printed pages of A3 (twice A4 size) landscape glossy paper on a spiral wire binder. This calendar features the DEPG’s locomotives, both in service and in preservation, with all of the photos being provided by members and supporters. Click here or on the image below to GET YOUR COPY NOW for £14 plus p&p.

 

 

ON SHED: This one is going way back to August of 1970, when the ‘Warships’ and ‘Hymeks’ were still receiving general overhauls at Swindon Works. The photo shows Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7009 undergoing a heavy overhaul, evidently leaving no stone unturned. The green-liveried loco emerged in BR-blue in November of that year and went on to serve for only 30 months before being withdrawn in May 1973. What a terrible waste ! Even worse was the fate of the loco that is just visible to the left of D7009, maroon-liveried Class 42 ‘Warship’ D805 ‘BENBOW’, also emerging in BR-blue in November 1970, only to be withdrawn just 23 months later. Many thanks to long-term DEPG member PHIL GRAY for capturing these fine locos on film.

Swindon Works on the 10th August 1970 and the heavy general overhaul of diesel-hydraulics was still in full swing. Centre loco is Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7009 in what is left of her original green livery with full yellow ends, while alongside in the shadows to the left is Class 42 ‘Warship’ D805 ‘BENBOW’ in maroon livery. Both locos were released from the works by November of 1970 in BR-blue. Photo by Phil Gray © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

DEPG NEWS: the next Board Meeting will take place at Williton on Saturday 20th July (apologies for the short notice). If you have a question that you would like to have placed before the Board, please reply to this email or use our CONTACT FORM. 

 

The DEPG is a charity and is run entirely by volunteers, many of whom give both their time and their money to the continuance of work on the locos in the DEPG fleet. If you have been enjoying the the roundup for free, have you considered joining us for just £1 a month ? You can then add your name to all of those helping out on the above projects and play your part in the future of our locos for a lot less than the price of a cup of coffee!

 

JOIN US using whichever membership class is appropriate for your situation and means. CLICK HERE or on the image below or use the QR code to get the details.

     

If you would like to go one step further and come along to help with the work on the locos in our fleet, then please use our CONTACT FORM to let us know that you would like to volunteer and we will respond with more details.

We look forward to hearing from you !

 

Go to the previous Weekly Roundup post

 

Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ was lifted from her bogies at Williton on Monday 8th July 2024 by two giant road cranes that were provided by BALDWINS CRANE HIRE from their Newport, South Wales branch. The two cranes made light work of the job! Photo by Martin Howard © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

This week, we have stretched the date range of this edition of ‘Roundup’ so that we can cover one of the most significant events in the 50-year history of the DEPG – the lifting of Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ !

At 08:00 on Monday 8th July 2024, two 130-ton road cranes arrived at Williton along with their escort vans and a flat-bed truck loaded with specialised lifting tackle, their objective being to set up in the south yard at Williton and lift the body of D1010 from her bogies and slew her over onto two stands that were ready and waiting to take the load.

The two 130t road cranes that were provided by BALDWINS CRANE HIRE were pictured in the process of setting up at Williton on Monday 8th July 2024. Photo by Martin Howard © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

After many months of research and preparation, and many hours of hard graft by our volunteers, the lift went to plan with only a slight hitch that was quickly resolved. The work involved five lifts, as follows:

     Lift 1 : Remove the roof sections from above the engine compartments (4 panels in total)

     Lift 2 : Lift out the ‘B’ engine and place it on the engine stand

     Lift 3 : Lift out the ‘A’ engine and place it on the engine stand

     Lift 4 : Replace the roof sections above the engine compartments (4 panels in total)

     Lift 5 : Lift the loco body from the bogies, slew over and set down on the stands.

 

Lifts 1 through 4 were completed by 10:00 and after a well-earned break, work began on the body lift, which soon ran into a hitch when the observers at the ‘A’ end called out to say that the bogie frame was fouling on the air tank that is mounted on the body, below and behind the buffer beam. This was quickly resolved by removing the air tank, which allowed the lift to proceed, and that was over and done before 12:00 midday. The cranes were then de-rigged and packed away, the entire cavalcade departing from the DEPG site at 13:00, leaving us full of admiration for their highly professional and polished performance. Well done TEAM BALDWINS !

D1010 – One of her two 6.5t Bristol Siddeley Maybach MD655 engines being carefully guided out through the roof aperture at Williton on Monday 8th July 2024. Photo by Martin Howard © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ was in the air at 11:00 on Monday 8th July 2024. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ was safely resting on the ex-BR Swindon stands by 11:45 on Monday 8th July 2024. Photo by Natalie Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

The cranes had already departed when this photo was taken of Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ on the ex-BR Swindon stands with her bogies alongside. Pictured on Monday 8th July 2024 by Martin Howard © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – One of her two 16t three-axle bogies, now positioned on No. 2 road outside the loco shed and ready to undergo cleaning and inspection before the overhaul commences. Pictured at Williton on Monday 8th July 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

We would like to acknowledge the help and support of the WESTERN LOCOMOTIVE ASSOCIATION (WLA) the DIESEL TRACTION GROUP (DTG) and the WEST SOMERSET RAILWAY, their knowledge, advice and loan of specialised equipment being essential ingredients, without which this lift would not have been possible.

We also thank the many DEPG members and supporters who have donated generously to allow us to build up sufficient funds to enable us to embark upon the bogie overhaul. Thank you all !

 

We are grateful to the many volunteers and supporters who have provided us with photos and video footage of D1010’s lifting, and we will be putting these together in a YouTube video on the DEPG channel as soon as we can. Meanwhile, there are five videos available on our public Facebook account, which is visible to all, even to those who ‘don’t do Facebook’, by simply clicking on the links below (cancel any requests to log in to Facebook by clicking on ‘x’ or pressing ‘esc’):

Video clip 1 : Engines out !

Video clip 2 : Neil McCannon explains what is going to be taking place

Video clip 3 : Neil McCannon explains what is taking place

Video clip 4 : Neil McCannon explains what has taken place

Video clip 5 : Neil McCannon explains the most important takeaway

 

All of the above videos were taken from a position of safety by and posted on social media by DEPG volunteer, Natalie Royal.

Click here to join the DEPG

Click here to go to our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page

Click here to go to our online shop

Click here to support D1010

 

Thank you very much for your support !

 

 

DIESEL RUNNING DATES

This coming weekend, it is the turn of Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 to haul the BLUE timetable diesel turn on Saturday 13th July, with 80 miles of haulage available. The following day, Sunday 14th, Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33057) will be in use on the same diagram. The rest of July is rostered for steam haulage. We have finalised the plan for the August weekends, each of which include diesel haulage on both days, and will be sending out a DIESELGEN bulletin ASAP.

Keep an eye on our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page for details of diesel-hauled public services and sign up to our DIESELGEN email bulletin service to get advance notice of non-public service running. 

 

THE FUNERAL OF ANDY VENN, 1962-2024, R.I.P.

As announced last week, the heritage diesel preservation movement has lost another of its well known and highly capable volunteers, with the passing of ANDY VENN at the age of 61 on Monday 1st July 2024. A legend amongst diesel-hydraulic locomotive owning groups, Andy was also known by his nickname ‘SLEDGE‘ (no doubt there is a story behind that). He had not long retired from GWR’s Reading Traction Maintenance Depot when he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, and sadly, he didn’t get to live out his retirement dreams.

Andy played a major role in the overhaul and return to mainline service of D1015 ‘WESTERN CHAMPION’ and provided essential information and guidance to our own ‘transmission team’, to get them started on the repair of D1010‘s Voith L630rV transmission.

Andy’s funeral will take place on Tuesday 6th August in Garford, near Abingdon. With condolences to the family, friends and former colleagues of Andy Venn, R.I.P.

Mainline registered Class 52 D1015 ‘WESTERN CHAMPION’ was pictured during a visit to the East Somerset Railway at Cranmore on Saturday 6th July 2024, carrying a wreath in memory of ANDY VENN. Photo by Josh Brinsford © CC BY-NC 3.0 

  

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 PHOTO CHARTER:

As advised last week, here’s a reminder that DON BISHOP has organised a PHOTO CHARTER for 22nd July using Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 and has carefully defined the rolling stock requirements and the optimum movements to get the best photographic experience. Below is an extract from his webpage: 

     Right loco, right stock and right line…. something we all crave for. 

     “I am organising a photo charter day with a ‘Hymek’ diesel hydraulic at the West Somerset Railway. This idea has proved popular from the messages of support I received, and subsequent bookings from my regular photo charter followers. It has taken quite a while to pull this together, but I have now agreed plan & date etc. on which this charter can be run.”

To learn more and book your place, please click on the link below, which will take you directly to the page on Don’s website.

 https://www.donbishop.co.uk/product/bookable-events/charters-and-events/charters/minehead-branch-hymek-d7017-at-the-west-somerset-railway/

 

Many thanks to Don for choosing a DEPG loco as the basis for his photo charter !

 

 

FORTHCOMING EVENTS on the WSR (click on the links below for more details):

Week of Tuesday 16th July – 150th anniversary of the WSR extension to Minehead

Don Bishop’s D7017 Photo Charter – Monday 22nd July

Saturday and Sunday 27th and 28th July – Grange, Manor and Hall weekend

Saturday and Sunday 3rd and 4th August – the WSRA Steam Rally at Norton Fitzwarren.

Saturday and Sunday 14th and 15th September – The Forties event

 

 

LOCO NEWS:

Class 52 D1010– already covered !

 

Class 09 D4107 (09019) – this loco is based at Bishops Lydeard and is in regular use in support of WSR activities, including the loading and unloading of visiting locomotives !

 

Class 33 D6566 (33 048) – this loco is stabled at Bishops Lydeard as a standby locomotive.

 

Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – this loco will be in use this coming SUNDAY (14th July) on the 10:00 Minehead to Bishops Lydeard and return service (x2) under the BLUE timetable, covering 80 miles.

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – this loco will be in use this coming SATURDAY (13th July) on the 10:00 Minehead to Bishops Lydeard and return service (x2) under the BLUE timetable, covering 80 miles.

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – the ‘spare’ transmission that previously ran in D7018 back in 1995 has now been disassembled so that the housings can be inspected and hopefully used as replacements for the transmission that is currently undergoing repair. The focus has temporarily switched to preparing D1010 for her body lift, but the ‘transmission team’ will be back on the Mekydro case ASAP !

D7018 – the newly-fabricated stand for the spare transmission was painted in ‘warning yellow’ by Julie at Williton on Sunday 7th July 2024. Photo by Paul Tucker © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Please help us with this very important work by making a donation to DEPG funds and allowing us to support the repair work that is taking place right now. Thank you in advance for your help.

 

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – more VERY GOOD NEWS – we now have BOTH of the cardan shafts re-installed in the loco ! This aspect of the restoration has taken some time due to the large and expensive nature of the parts involved, but we have now have a solution, WITH MANY THANKS TO OUR DONORS AND SUPPORTERS !

D9518 – the longer of the two cardan shafts connects the transmission to the engine via the ‘Holset Coupling’, the large black object on the right hand end of the shaft. This is a vibration damper that isolates the transmission from the torsional vibrations that are produced by the V6 engine. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 6th July 2024. Photo by Terry Deacon © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Having these shafts installed allows us to start planning for the day when the cab assembly gets re-mounted onto the frames, after which the loco will return to its characteristic shape and be well on its way to full restoration !

THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO OUR VOLUNTEERS AND ALL WHO HAVE FINANCED THE WORK ON D9518 !

 

Click here or on the image below to make a donation towards the restoration of D9518. Thank you very much for your support !

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 – this loco is stabled at Williton and is available for service.

 

Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco was a very popular attraction at the DIESEL GALA that took place on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway recently, but has now been withdrawn from service for a few weeks to allow a leaking exhaust silencer to be repaired and a split turbo input bellows to be replaced. Work is in progress and the loco should be back in service for the peak of summer.

 

Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – stabled outdoors on number 1 road, this loco is fully serviceable and available for yard pilot duties.

 

 

BOOK REVIEW: this week, we have a NEW book on offer:THE NORTH BRITISH CLASS 22 by Anthony P. Sayer.

These curious beasts were designed and built by the North British Locomotive Company in the late 1950s and soon gained a reputation for unreliability and erratic performance that was not helped by their builder going into liquidation in 1962. This book tells the story of the origins and development of the NBL Class 22 locos, and covers each member of the class in some detail, in the usual style of the author.

Highly recommended and offered at £26 per copy via the DEPG online store. Click here or on the image above to get your copy and in doing so, support the DEPG !

NOTE: We can supply many other titles from Pen & Sword or Platform 5 upon request. Please use our CONTACT FORM to let us know what you would like us to be offering from our online store. Thanks !

 

 

The DEPG 2025 CALENDAR is now available for mailing, comprising 14 printed pages of A3 (twice A4 size) landscape glossy paper on a spiral wire binder. This calendar features the DEPG’s locomotives, both in service and in preservation, with all of the photos being provided by members and supporters. Click here or on the image below to GET YOUR COPY NOW for £14 plus p&p.

 

ON SHED: apologies, but due to the workload on D1010‘s lifting, we will need to skip this feature again this week.

 

DEPG NEWS: the DEPG is a charity and is run entirely by volunteers, many of whom give both their time and their money to the continuance of work on the locos in the DEPG fleet. If you have been enjoying the the roundup for free, have you considered joining us for just £1 a month ? You can then add your name to all of those helping out on the above projects and play your part in the future of our locos for a lot less than the price of a cup of coffee!

 

JOIN US using whichever membership class is appropriate for your situation and means. CLICK HERE or on the image below or use the QR code to get the details.

     

If you would like to go one step further and come along to help with the work on the locos in our fleet, then please use our CONTACT FORM to let us know that you would like to volunteer and we will respond with more details.

We look forward to hearing from you !

 

Go to the previous Weekly Roundup post